Because of you: Ten years of healthier beginnings

Launched in 2013, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies set out to do things differently in Papua New Guinea, guided by communities, grounded in evidence and made possible by donors like you who believed lasting change takes time.

For decades, Papua New Guinean women, families, health workers, community leaders, researchers and long-standing supporters of Burnet’s work, have recognised that progress in improving the health and wellbeing of mothers, babies and families has not been as fast as it should be.

Despite genuine commitment and goodwill, creating lasting change remains an ongoing challenge for local and international organisations.

By the time Burnet and PNG partners and donors came together to launch the groundbreaking Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies (HMHB) program in 2013, it was clear that the usual way of doing things was not going to be enough. Instead, they chose a different path, committing to a long-term approach grounded in genuine partnership, rigorous research and local capability. It was an ambitious choice – and it was only possible because generous donors were willing to back it from the start, recognising that complex, interrelated issues needed time to be understood, so that solutions could be designed and tested. The HMHB program took shape through a broad and deeply connected collaboration.

It brought communities and families in East New Britain together with local health workers, provincial and national health leaders, PNG researchers, and long-standing partners including the PNG Institute of Medical Research, the National Department of Health, church-run and government health services, and universities in PNG and Australia.

From the outset, the work was organised around three foundations. First, collaboration: taking the time to listen and learn from mothers, families, health workers and community leaders, and shaping the work around what they said mattered most. Second, research: carried out in hospitals, clinics and villages – including hard-to-reach places – to build a clear picture of the challenges people faced and why support wasn’t always reaching those who needed it. And third, building for the future: working alongside PNG partners to strengthen the workforce, establish new research infrastructure and put in place the skills and relationships needed for progress to last.

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Over more than a decade, this approach led to real improvements across maternal and child health, infectious disease, nutrition and child development, immunisation, anaemia, and sexual and reproductive health.

The program reached its conclusion in 2025, but the work is far from finished. The next phase of work will see Burnet take a further step back, supporting PNG communities, health services and government partners as they lead what comes next.

For donors, that long-awaited sense of momentum – shaped by a belief in doing things properly, listening deeply and trusting local leadership – is the proof of success. Together, we’ve helped build the foundations for a new era of health and wellbeing in Papua New Guinea.

Hidden infections in pregnancy exposed

HMHB revealed that 50% of pregnant women were living with a treatable sexually transmitted or reproductive tract infection, most without symptoms or access to testing. This important finding showed how much preventable harm was going undetected and strengthened the case for access to testing and treatment. Our findings are now enabling strategies to target these infections more effectively.

Clear links between infection and low birth weight

The program demonstrated that specific infections during pregnancy, notably Mycoplasma genitalium and Neisseria gonorrhoea, significantly reduce birth weight, increasing the risk of newborn death, developmental delays and lifelong health problems. Our data provided the first global evidence that Mycoplasma genitalium infection is associated with reduced birthweight and harm to the fetus.

Childhood stunting: identifying causes and reducing prevalence

HMHB showed that most causes of stunting (impaired growth and development due to chronic undernutrition) occur during pregnancy and in the first year of life. This shifted prevention efforts to women’s health, nutrition and infection prevention before and during pregnancy. In response to these findings, we implemented programs in communities and health centres to strengthen nutrition, prevent and treat infection, increase immunisation, and improve monitoring and management of child growth and development. In our most recent survey (completed 2025), stunting had reduced to 25% compared to previous surveys reporting 45–50% prevalence.

Immunisation strengthened through practical solutions

HMHB revealed low coverage of childhood immunisation and identified gaps in services and barriers to routine immunisation. Working with health authorities and services, changes were implemented and we co-developed strategies to strengthen immunisation. This has led to a substantial increase in uptake and coverage of essential childhood immunisation in East New Britain Province.

Postnatal care strengthened for newborns and mothers

HMHB studies revealed major gaps in postnatal care of mothers and newborns, with just 17% of newborns receiving postnatal care. Together with the Provincial Health Authority, HMHB designed and implemented a new model of postnatal care to increase coverage and care, improving discharge checks, parent education, umbilical cord care and follow-up home visits.

Quality of maternal and newborn care improved

Through the Gutpela Helt Sevis Stadi (Quality Health Services Study), HMHB delivered programs that led to better-trained staff, upgraded maternity spaces and safer care during pregnancy, childbirth and after birth, and the establishment of quality of care

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